Braveheart poster & wallpaper

Mel Gibson, Brian Cox, Brendan Gleeson

In the late 13th century, William Wallace returns to Scotland after living away from his homeland for many years. The king of Scotland has died without an heir and the king of England, a ruthless paga...( read more  read more... )n known as Edward the Longshanks, has seized the throne. Wallace becomes the leader of a ramshackle yet courageous army determined to vanquish the greater English forces. At the historic battle of Stirling, Wallace leads his army to a stunning victory against the English. Knighted by the grateful Scottish nobles, Sir William Wallace extends the conflict south of the border and storms the city of York. King Edward I is astonished by the unexpected turn of events. Unable to rely on his ineffectual son Prince Edward, Longshanks sends his daughter-in-law Princess Isabelle to discuss a truce with Wallace.

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R, 2 hrs. 50 min.

Directed by: Mel Gibson

Release Date: May 26, 1995

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DVD Release Date: August 29, 2000

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Flixster Reviews (1,183,841)

  • AgentLexi2132
    November 6, 2009
    AgentLexi2132
    ''It's all for nothing if you don't have freedom.''

    William Wallace, a commoner, unites the 13th Century Scots in their battle to overthrow English rule.

    Mel Gibson: William Wallace

    Braveheart is a story blessed with many endearing nobilities and notions,...( read more) but more than anything a dual sense of honour and liberty: on the one side William Wallace, a legendary figure who accomplished the impossible by leading the Scots when no one else would; and on the other hand Mel Gibson, who demonstrated with this movie a directorial talent that many of us doubted. Previously, I had Mel labeled as a likable albeit type-cast action hero from series such as Mad Max or Lethal Weapon. His dual personality never indicated a passion for directing, an intensely romantic and dramatic epic. The Man Without a Face proved that Gibson could direct a good film, Braveheart proved that he could direct a great one.

    Gibson's greatest achievement in Braveheart (besides the mesmerising battle sequences) is that he envoked excellent performances from the entire cast: every actor and actress (even those who appear for only a few moments) hits exactly the right mark. In fact, I'm outraged that Braveheart received no Oscar nominations for its acting: Why honour Gibson as Best Director of 1995, yet ignore the performances which are the fruits of his labours? I'm not saying that any particular person in Braveheart (Mel Gibson, Patrick McGoohan, Angus McFadyen) should have won an acting Oscar, it's the fact that nobody was even nominated that bothers me.

    I am aware that this film is at times historically inaccurate: Even in 1995, when I first saw Braveheart, I knew enough military history to know that the battles of Sterling and Falkirk were not being accurately presented. But this awareness did not and does not interfere with my enjoyment of the movie, because Braveheart exists outside the borders of history: mirroring the same artistic license as Dances With Wolves, Robin Hood, The Last of the Mohicans, Gladiator and The Three Musketeers, it is an emotionally rich epic inspired by history yet not confined to it's chains, less concerned with accuracy to every detail than with the eternal struggles of good and evil, love and hatred, freedom and oppression. And isn't that enough? Braveheart is one of the most stirring films of storytelling: If you can't reconcile yourself to its inaccuracies and simply enjoy it on its own terms, then maybe you are missing the point.

    Patrick McGoohan's performance as Longshanks has, in my opinion, not received nearly enough praise: He masterfully plays the king as a man who embodies the phrase 'absolute power corrupts absolutely'; he commands an entire nation, yet covets what he does not or cannot have. He answers to no one, and can barely restrain himself: he does not even try to conceal his contempt for his homosexual son, his lust for his daughter-in-law, his rage against any obstacle to his will. The performance is also physically impressive. We see the king gradually consumed by tuberculosis through the movie, and McGoohan makes the ordeal so believable that, though Longshanks is unrepentant to the end, we are moved to feel remorse for him in spite of everything.

    Besides McGoohan, Angus McFadyen (as Robert the Bruce) gives the most impressive performance in Braveheart. When I first saw the movie, I identified with William Wallace; but now I identify with Robert the Bruce, who is in fact the key figure of the story. He is not a great man like Wallace, but he wants to be great, and he idolizes Wallace so much that he is almost overwhelmed to hear Wallace tell him "If you would lead us, I would follow you." But the Bruce is warned by his sly, leperous father (played unforgettably by the late Ian Bannen beneath Oscar-winning makeup) to not live a life of action, but rather a life of calculation. As he wrestles with the dual influences of Wallace and his father, he embodies a theme at the movie's heart: the eternal conflict between youth and age, idealism and cynicism, uncompromising heroism and craven opportunistic nature.

    When I first saw Braveheart, I was most impressed by the power of its battle sequences; after seven years, I am most impressed by the enduring power of its story. It is a great movie because it seriously argues that one man's lifelong personal experiences and struggle can make a difference, if not in the world then at least in the lives of others, it is a great movie because it is ultimately an inspiring story of perseverance in the face of considerable brutality and heartbreak, greatness because a thousand words are not adequate to express all of its emotional power and impact. I do not have the heart to give Braveheart less than a perfect score, even if I wished, because it is much more to me than mere entertainment...It is a constant reminder to me that I must never lose heart, to stand up for what one believes in, to be true to ones self.

    "You have bled with Wallace...now bleed with me!"
  • SirPant
    October 23, 2009
    SirPant
    I have to say Braveheart was nowhere near as bad as I thought it would be. I was entertained throughout thanks to great performances from Patrick McGoohan, Ian Bannen, Tommy Flanagan and James Cosmo and the accomplished direction, especially the early scenes which were handled qu...( read more)ite brilliantly. The only reason why I can't rate this film higher is because of the unforgivable inaccuracies, ridiculous stereotypes and offensive patronising. If it weren?t for Mr. Gibsons giant ego, this film could have deserved it's place in the IMDB's top 250!
  • dreamfaeries
    October 11, 2009
    dreamfaeries
    Okay... so I finally managed to get the very end of this epic. I do have to say it was quite worth it. When I heard William Wallace yell his last "FREEDOM!" tears began to roll down my face and I was right there in the movie with him. And who couldn't put themselves into the s...( read more)tory with such a beautiful love plot? I mean, come on...
  • ohagankieran
    April 5, 2009
    ohagankieran
    Great for the scots
  • mrpopcorn
    February 14, 2009
    mrpopcorn
    "The courage to face fear"

    William Wallace, a commoner, unites the 13th Century Scots in their battle to overthrow English rule.

    REVIEW
    Braveheart is one of the greatest films ever made. Mel Gibson shows off his talent both in front of and behind the ...( read more)camera, proving once and for all that he is one of the most talented men in film today. The scenery in this movie is pure eye-candy. The rocky highlands of the British Isles provide a breathtaking back drop to a story of revenge, freedom, and love. Set and costume design perfectly capture the essence of medieval Europe. The supporting cast is absolutely delightful, from Wallace's lady loves and best friends to the hateful King of England. The roles are all acted to perfection, making you genuinely care about the characters. My only real gripe is that the enemy (in this case the English) are not really portrayed as people. This is perhaps for the best, however, given the large-scale slaughter William Wallace inflicts upon them.

    In summary, Braveheart is an absolute work of art. Everything about it exudes perfection. A perfect movie in my opinion.
  • skulson
    November 20, 2009
    skulson
    didnt like the ending
  • jojopinks
    November 20, 2009
    jojopinks
    i havent seen it before.
  • judelyncagaral
    November 20, 2009
    judelyncagaral
    my husband like this movie
  • ndumelamsipa
    November 20, 2009
    ndumelamsipa
    Mel Gibson, good one..
  • amirhosseina17
    November 20, 2009
    amirhosseina17
    Nice movie , awesome movei , i like that much ,,, he had a good characteristic...

View All Braveheart Reviews

Critic Reviews

May 12, 2001
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

Though the film dawdles a bit with the shimmery, dappled love stuff involving Wallace with a Scottish peasant and a French princess, the action will pin you to your seat. full review

January 1, 2000
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

An action epic with the spirit of the Hollywood swordplay classics and the grungy ferocity of The Road Warrior. full review

View more Braveheart reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

Comments

  • blotim
    September 24, 2009
    blotim
    a film i will remember forever
  • dunkyfull
    May 2, 2009
    dunkyfull
    ONE OF THE BEST MOVIE EVER SEE!!
    MEL GIBSON,WAS GREAT IN THIS MOVIE,IS A GENIUS!!
  • hamzamez
    April 25, 2009
    hamzamez
    one of the best movies
  • zafariqbal659
    April 7, 2009
    zafariqbal659
    This is the best moive which ever I have seen. I like brave peoples, who fights against evil, vices and crual peoles, who love freedom and humanity.

    I don't have the words to praise this Movie.

  • grae79
    April 5, 2009
    grae79
    mibby the movie not 110% truth but realize that the story is based on the truth but i saw the truth about william wallace he was a mare fisherman who was in the wrong place at the wrong time and had to defend himself thats how braveheat really came about
  • lolobarosanul
    April 5, 2009
    lolobarosanul
    una pelicula fenomenala
  • preezo
    April 1, 2009
    preezo
    the first movie i saw and fallen in love historical epic movies was braveheart. so good and sad. mel gibson was really good. it will always be my best movie on the list
  • darkangel1948
    March 29, 2009
    darkangel1948
    I don't have enough words to express my feelings, but I'll say this; "ITS THE ONLY MOVIE I CRIED ABOUT"
  • aseeljaw
    March 16, 2009
    aseeljaw
    its my favourite film ever...i love it
  • ceposbarro
    March 13, 2009
    ceposbarro
    EU ADOREI ESTE FILME.DESDE K O VI NUNCA MAIS O ESKECI E JA O REVI 7X. GOSTAVA DE CONHECER PESSOAS K GOSTARAM TANTO DELE COMO EU. ADICIONEM: ceposbarro@hotmail.com
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  • Fun Fact:
    Gibson turned down the lead role in "A Tale of Two Cities" which was to be directed by Terry Gilliam. The film never got made, and Gilliam turned down an offer from Gibson to direct "Braveheart."
  • Fun Fact:
    Mel Gibson was asked by a local why the Battle of Stirling Bridge was filmed on an open plain. He said "The bridge got in the way." ... "Aye," said the local, "that's what the English found."
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